A Christmas Miracle
by Ace n' Avery
Summary: There's more then one man Scarlett's praying for during the war. And this other man she cares for even more then Ashley.


**This is my first ****Gone With the Wind**** fanfiction I've ever done so please let me know how I did, that way if I ever write another one I know what to change.**

Scarlett and Melanie sat in the carriage outside the newspaper office waiting for the lists to come out. Crowds of people, mostly women, waited to hear the dead and the lost.

When the newspapers where being handed out Rhett using his strong shoulders showed his way thru the crowd. He returned with dozens of newspapers and began handing them out to the women in the back.

"Look for me Scarlett I can't bear to."

Scarlett skimmed thru the list going straight to the end. "W, w, w" she murmured to herself "Melanie! Melanie he's not here! He's not here!" She cried quiet forgetting herself she glanced up at Rhett who watched her mockingly and she quickly composed her face.

"Oh Scarlett! This is wonderful!" Melanie cried she continued to speak but Scarlett wasn't listening to her, she was looking at the list for a name even more dear to her heart then that of Ashley.

Then Scarlett saw his name and she stopped breathing, it felt to her as though the world and frozen and was going in slow motion and she stared hard at the paper as if she didn't fully comprehend.

Rhett, who had been watching her intently, noticed the difference and wondered who could have affected her that much. He gently shook her arm "Scarlett." he said sharply.

Up to this point Melanie hadn't been paying attention to anything but chattered happily about when Ashley would come home for Christmas. She grabbed Scarlett by the shoulder and cried out "Oh Scarlett, Scarlett darling what is it? Who is it?" and when Scarlett did not answer she grabbed the list from her still fingers and looked for the name. "Oh Scarlett you poor dear! I am so selfish, so completely selfish making you look for Ashley's name first when you had someone more important to look for."

As if she finally understood what had happened Scarlett began to cry. She put her head on Melanie's lap and sobbed. Rhett watched as Melanie soothed Scarlett feeling extremely bewildered. 'Certainly it couldn't be one of those bucks that used to court her she certainly didn't care that much. I know she only has two sisters. Perhaps it was a close cousin' he mused.

"Don't worry Scarlett, he's only missing in action he could still come home." Melanie said soothingly.

Scarlett raised her head and looked at Melanie with anguish "But that is worse then if he were dead because he could be bleeding somewhere with no one to help him, or locked in some Yankee prison being tortured, or lost and confused with no way of getting home." She let out a cry and buried her head once more in Melanie's lap.

"But this way dear at least there's a chance he can come home."

Rhett was feeling uncomfortable all he wanted to do was take Scarlett into his arms and comfort her but Rhett fought his impulses, he asked quietly if there was anything he could do.

"No thank you Captain Butler," Melly answered quietly "I think I shall just take Scarlett home. Take us home please Uncle Peter." Melanie whispered leaning forward.

Rhett watched them go feeling confused. He picked up a fallen list and looked at it without really knowing what he was looking for, there were thousands of names any one of them could be dear to Scarletts heart.

The next day Rhett tapped on the door of Aunt Pittypats house after a couple of beats Melanie opened the door looking extremely tired, but she greeted him courteously and he felt at ease.

"I'm sorry Captain Butler but Scarlett's in her room, she doesn't want any callers today." Melanie said as she led him into the parlor.

"That's all right Melanie I actually came to ask you something. I wanted to know who it was that Scarlett's upset about. I didn't want to ask yesterday, I didn't think that would be appropriate."

"Oh of course Captain Butler, it was Scarletts dear brother Jonathan. They're as close as two siblings can be. She's taking it rather hard. The poor dear."

"I didn't know she had a brother, I met her two sister at the barbecue at Twelve Oaks but I didn't hear any talk about a brother."

"She had three younger brothers who didn't make it out of infancy but he's her older brother. He was in Charleston at the time of the barbecue. Poor Scarlett, I was inconsolable also when my dear Charlie died."

Yes, thought Rhett, poor Scarlett.

Nearly three months later Ashley had retuned on leave for Christmas. Melanie, Rhett, Ashley, Scarlett, and Miss Pittypat were all sitting in the parlor. Scarlett was sitting grimfaced in the corner in black mourning cloths for her lost brother. Melanie and Ashley were sitting arm in arm on the sofa Rhett was in the chair by the door, and Aunt Pittypat was sitting by the Christmas tree looking flustered but happy.

Rhett studied Scarlett, she had been quiet for the last three months and she always seemed far away and distant like he couldn't reach her. When she had seen Ashley coming up the drive a ghost of a smile had flickered around the corners of her mouth and Rhett was glad, it showed she was still human even if she was smiling for Ashley.

"Scarlett dear would you mind getting me a cup of tea?" Miss Pittypat asked, Scarlett nodded and rose walking slowly into the kitchen. The light happy chatter continued for several more minutes led mostly by Melanie.

"Dear me, who's that coming up the driveway?" Miss Pittypat asked interrupting Melanie.

The company turned and saw a tall man making his way towards the house. They heard a loud crash and when they turned they saw Scarlett with the broken mug at her feet, hot tea spreading rapidly across the floor. She didn't care though, her face was so surprised it was almost comical. Then after a pause where she took in the figure approaching the house she seemed to come out of her state of shock. With a cry she ran as fast as possible out of the parlor and down the hall with a tug she opened the heavy wooden front door and ran into the snow straight into the arms of the stranger. He had dropped his pack when he caught her and he began to twirl Scarlett thru the air.

Back in the parlor the gathered people looked at the scene with surprise and Melanie rose and with a voice full of pure happiness for her sister in law she said, "I do believe that Mr. Jonathan has come home."

Scarlett led Jonathan back into the house grinning foolishly and talking excitedly. Jonathan, or Johnny as Scarlett called him, was a tall man, nearly as tall as Rhett, with the thin build most Southern men had and long greasy brown hair that fell to his shoulders from his many days in the war. A thick layer of stubble covered his jaw and around his mouth, he was tan and weather beaten and he was a real handsome man.

When he entered the room his hat was shadowing his face but he smiled and said in a deep voice "Hello Melanie, Ashley I do believe your wedding was the last time I saw you, Aunt Pittypat it's been too long."

He surveyed the room and caught sight of Rhett. "I don't believe I've met you yet Captain Butler." Jonathan said extending a calloused hand and with the other hand he took of his hat "I'm Jonathan O'Hara."

Rhett was met with a pair of hauntingly familiar green eyes.

**Thoughts?**


End file.
